Aftermath to Human Traffic
by Raderle
Summary: This is my take on the aftermath of the episode Human Traffic and the extent of Deeks' injuries. I don't feel the episode addressed them well.
1. Chapter 1: Going Undercover

I just rewatched the episode Human Traffic last week. I was never satisfied with how they portrayed Deeks' injuries during that episode. Based on the fact that he was not only blown up but then took a hell of a beating at he hands of the bad guys, he shouldn't have been able to walk away unscathed. Here's my take on what the repercussions might have been. There will quotes from the episode included, but this is not a recap. I have already completed the story and expect to update it every couple of days. I don't own NCIS Los Angeles, but once again my minions and I are playing with them. As usual, thoughts or memories are in italics.

Anything in bold letters are actual quotes from the NCIS LA episode Fame or Human Traffic.

I don't own any known characters, I'm just borrowing them for fun.

Reviews are welcome.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 1: Going Undercover

Marty Deeks was somewhat of an enigma to most people. On the surface, he seemed like just another California surfer, taking life as he found it and doing as little as possible. What 99 percent of the population didn't know was that it was a mask he presented to the world to protect who he really was. People were always underestimating him which was a real asset in his line of work. It was what made him so successful as an undercover cop. He became a cop after passing the bar and working as a lawyer because he had found out that by the time the lawyers were involved, it was usually too late to help the victims. He had the highest success rate in the department and wasn't well liked because of it. He was also a straight arrow and wouldn't tolerate dirty cops which didn't help his standing either. He didn't care. He was a cop because he really wanted to help people and he would do whatever it took to get the job done.

He had only been on a couple of assignments as the LAPD/NCIS liaison when an undercover operation that had been in the planning stages for months finally came together and he was called back to LAPD to go under as a shady lawyer. Two weeks later, fully into his undercover assignment, Marty thought back to what he had told Kensi Bly just before he left NCIS **"Don't worry Fern, I'll be back."**__He had to admit to himself that she was a fascinating woman. He had felt an electric charge run through his body the first time he saw her in the MMA gym when he was undercover as Jason Wyler. That was the case that had led to him becoming the liaison between LAPD and NCIS. He had never felt that on first seeing a woman before. She was beautiful and sexy as hell, but also full of herself and he enjoyed flustering her with his quips and nicknames. It was little enough payback for her comment asking if he was the best LAPD could send for a liaison officer when he walked into OPS for the first time. Even though he had made a joke, it had bothered him, a lot.

Jess Traynor was his handler for the undercover operation and the longer it went on the closer they became. He was posing as Dale John Sully, a somewhat shady lawyer working for Emilio Ortega to help set up the smuggling routes he and Lazik were going to use for smuggling underage girls across the border. Lazik was planning on going global with his human trafficking business and Emilio was helping him, Deeks reported to Jess on a regular basis and she provided him with all the intel that she could gather. As the assignment continued they began sharing things about themselves with each other. It wasn't sexual, but more a brother and sister relationship. They helped each other when they got discouraged over how long it was taking to get the evidence they needed to close the case.

One evening when he and Jess met to discuss the case, she suggested they have dinner at her place. Over dinner she began telling him a story about why the case meant so much to her. To his surprise, she began telling him about her cousin being abducted. They had been walking home one evening when they had been grabbed. Jess was able to get away but her cousin wasn't as lucky. She had been taken and Jess never saw her alive again. Her body had been found in Mexico 18 months later. Jess had vowed that she would find the people responsible and make sure they never did it to another child. _"Marty she was only 13 and had her whole life in front of her. I tried to get her away from them, but I couldn't. I'll never forget the look on her face." _She was crying by the time she finished telling him and he took her in his arms to comfort her. He ended up spending the night there because she didn't want to be alone and even though he knew it was a risk, he agreed because he could tell she was still struggling with her feelings of guilt. They sat and talked for the longest time before he tucked her into bed and fell asleep on the couch. He left early the next morning so that Emilio wouldn't come looking for him. He thought he had gotten away clean. What he didn't know is that staying the night at Jess' would come back to haunt him.

Deeks had been working with Emilio for months waiting for the first shipment of girls to occur. As soon as it did, he would have the evidence he needed to shut everything done and arrest everyone involved. Lately though things hadn't been going well. Every time Emilio would talk to Lazik, they would argue. Emilio didn't like doing all the work but getting little of the profits. He was making noises about cutting Lazik out of the trafficking in the states which had Deeks worried. He knew what kind of man Lazik was and if he found out what Emilio was planning it would become dangerous for everyone involved.


	2. Chapter 2: Boom!

I just checked my bank account…no…still don't own NCIS Los Angles. Bugger!

Here's chapter 2. Thoughts or memories are in italics. Anything in bold letters are actual quotes from the NCIS LA episode Fame or Human Traffic.

Reviews are welcome.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 2: Boom!

Deeks tried to convince Emilio not to double-cross Lazik but every time he tried to bring the subject up, Emilio would become enraged. One time, he had actually attacked Deeks and then had his men rough him up pretty good. "Are you a rat?" he had yelled at him while his men were working him over. "You working for Lazik or for me?"

"Emilio, I'm on your side, man. I just know how dangerous Lazik is. If he finds out what you're planning, it's going to be a blood bath, man. I don't want to see you go down because he thinks you're getting greedy. Let me try to think of something we can do to get you set up in a better position to bargain with him. That's all I'm saying man." Marty wiped the blood from his mouth. "You know I would never betray you."

After a lot of talking, Deeks finally got Emilio calmed down, but didn't have as much luck in getting him to agree to back off from Lazik for a while. He had a bad feeling about what the next few weeks would bring. He needed to talk to Jess to see if between the two of them they could come up with something to diffuse the situation before it got totally out of hand. He sent her a quick text as soon as he got a few minutes to himself, letting her know he needed to talk to her. He waited for her reply hoping she could think of a way they could meet without being discovered. When he received her reply to meet him at their designated place that evening, he began planning how he could get away from Emilio without drawing suspicion. As luck would have it, Emilio had personal plans for the evening and gave him the night off without thinking twice about it.

He met with Jess but they were unable to come up with anything they thought would be effective. They spent hours going through everything they knew so far but drew a blank. "God Jess, I'm so close to finishing this. I don't want Emilio to screw it up with his ambition. If he gets Lazik suspicious, no telling what the man will do and you and I might end up in the crossfire."

"Marty, don't give up now. If we can keep a lid on this for a few more days, the shipment will come through and we can end it once and for all" Jess tried to reassure him. He was so grateful to her. He had been there for her when she needed to vent about her cousin and now she was returning the favor. It was a nice change from the usual handlers he had when he was undercover. She actually cared about him and was willing to listen and provide good feedback when he was thinking about the operation and trying to come up with a plan of action. He was used to being ignored by his handlers. He never let it bother him too much but he could honestly say this was a very refreshing change of pace.

"Thanks, Jess. I know you're right. Why don't we both think on it some more and I'll see you in a couple of days."

"Don't forget to check in with me Marty. If you do, I'm going to be worried…and pissed…and you don't want to see me pissed!"

Marty laughed "You're right. I bet you're really scary with you're pissed!"

~,~,~

It was a beautiful morning and Marty was hoping this was the day when the first shipment would finally be set up. He was in Emilio's car with him when the remote to the security gate malfunctioned. He hopped out of the car to get the gate opened. He had just turned around when a bomb went off and the car exploded into a fireball . He was blown through the air by the blast as he felt small pieces of shrapnel pepper his face and body. He landed on his face causing additional scrapes and contusions, then continued rolling until he ended up on his back . He wasn't sure if he had hit his head or not, because all he could hear was ringing in his ears. He lay there looking up into the cloudless sky wondering if this was the day he was going to die. _"God, it's so beautiful today. The sky is so clear and I can see the gulls coming in. It means the waves will be great. I don't want to die, I still have so much I want to do." _he lay there thinking. He couldn't even tell if he was still in one piece. All he knew was that he hurt all over. He didn't know up from down. Emilio's bodyguards grabbed him, threw him in the back of their car and peeled away from the house. They got him to a doctor who patched him up then shot him up with what felt like a horse tranquilizer putting him under for over 15 hours.

~,~,~

Jess got worried when Marty had missed his first check-in. It wasn't like him to miss a check-in or even be late unless there was a very good reason for it. He had just missed his second check-in when she heard about the car bombing at Emilio's. She was so afraid it meant Marty was dead, she felt a great sense of relief once it was determined that none of the bodies found at the scene were his. He was missing; however, which meant anything could be happening to him. She called Frank Scarli at LAPD and reported everything she knew so far about the operation and Marty's two missed check-ins. He told her not to worry about it. Marty was probably just unable to check in for a good reason and she would hear from him soon. Jess wasn't satisfied with his answer, so she also called Lt. Bates and let him know what was going on. He informed NCIS and asked for their help in locating Deeks.

When Deeks woke up the bodyguards were nowhere to be found. The doctor told him he had to leave and that Lazik was in town. As soon as he got back to his apartment, he tried to contact Jess to check in but she wasn't answering her phone. He tried contacting her several times before he found out it was too late. She had already been killed by another car bomb. He didn't know she had talked to Callen, Sam and Kensi or that NCIS was now involved in the case. He sat in his apartment trying to come to terms with Jess' death. He couldn't connect all the dots to complete the puzzle of why she was murdered. He didn't think she had been made but he wasn't sure. He sat there trying to figure out what to do or who he could turn to for help in completing the mission. The only option that came to mind was to call Hetty. He arranged to meet with her in the bar where he had first been offered the liaison position with NCIS.

~,~,~

As Deeks walked up to Hetty in the bar she looked at him and stated **"We were beginning to think you were dead"**. He replied shakily **"Not yet…maybe tomorrow."** Hetty could tell he was hurting. His emotions were playing out on his face, but she refrained from calling attention to them. They made small talk about the scrabble game she was playing in Russian. He asked what some of the words meant and she translated for him. She ordered him a cup of coffee and made him drink it. Once he had some of it in his system, she asked **"You're not too badly hurt?" **

He replied **"I'm stinging all over here"** then proceeded to tell her everything that had happened. He was hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions about his injuries. He knew he was in worse shape than he was letting her know, but he needed her help and he didn't want her to sideline him. After listening to his story, Hetty asked him why he had called her instead of LAPD and he replied **"Because LAPD would have just closed down the operation and pulled me off it." ** When she reminded him there was no longer an operation because it had died with Detective Trainer, he started pleading his case. He couldn't be pulled off this. He owed it to Jess and he was desperate to make Hetty understand. He told her he knew Lazik was in town because his friendly doctor/vet had told him.

He tried to convince Hetty that Lazik was responsible for Emilio's death and that he was one scary individual. He began talking about the pipeline Emilio had been setting up to smuggle girls out of Mexico. His voice was trembling and he was close to tears **"We're talking about abducted, underage and drugged…" **he had to stop and pull himself together before he could complete his sentence because he was having trouble keeping his emotions in check **"girls."** Hetty could tell how affected he was and hated reminding him that he had no proof. He told her the first shipment would have been the proof. When she asked him exactly what he wanted from her, he replied **"'To help me finish what I started." **Lazik was looking for a replacement for Emilio and he could fill that role. Marty could tell by the look on Hetty's face that she understood what he was not saying and how much it was affecting him.

He wondered again, just how much she knew about his childhood. Oh, he knew she had the big picture. He had been able to tell that much when looking over the paperwork she had prepared for him to sign to become the liaison between NCIS and LAPD but he wasn't sure just how many of the details she was privy to. He hoped to God she didn't know everything. He tried never to think about it because no one needed to know the whole truth about what he went through as a child. It was his past, his demons and no one had the right to know anything about it unless he told them. It had been hard enough living through it, he didn't need or want to relive any part of it. He didn't want anyone looking at him with pity if they knew just how bad his childhood had been or heaven forbid, think he was damaged or fragile and unable to do his job.

He heaved a huge sigh of relief when she passed him the key to a safe house and told him to get some sleep and she would call him in the morning. She assured him she would see what she could do but she had no jurisdiction over the LAPD and they might tell her to bugger off. He just snickered at that thought and said he would like to see them try it. He thanked her before leaving to go to the safe house. He picked up some food before he arrived and tried to eat it. He didn't get much down before he decided sleep was more important. He crawled into bed and was out like a light. He hoped he wouldn't have any nightmares but he knew that it was highly unlikely. The first time he woke up screaming, he was reliving the bombing, but this time, he was on fire and he couldn't do anything but watch his skin melting. The second time he work up screaming, he had been dreaming about Jess and watching her scream as she was blown apart.

After waking up screaming the fourth time, Marty decided he wasn't going to try to get any more sleep. He made a pot of coffee and again tried to eat something before leaving the safe house, retrieving his rental car and calling Lazik to set up a meet with him. He didn't let anyone know he was meeting with Lazik. It just never occurred to him since he was so used to being alone while undercover. With Jess dead, he didn't have a handler and had forgotten that Hetty was going to call him that morning.


	3. Chapter 3: Getting Made

Just checked…nope…no extra money in my bank account, none of my numbers came up in the lottery either, darn it, so I still don't own NCIS Los Angeles

As usual, thoughts or memories are in italics. Anything in bold letters are actual quotes from the NCIS LA episode Fame or Human Traffic.

Reviews are welcome.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 3: Getting Made

Marty had some time to prepare so he went back to the apartment he was using for the undercover operation to change his clothes and clean up some before arriving at the power plant for the meet. Once he arrived, he was checked out thoroughly by Lazik's bodyguards. After the bodyguards declared he was clean, Lazik began talking about his wife and being a good husband. Marty couldn't believe told the things he was being told, but chalked it up to Lazik's need to be the one in control. He told Marty that he was a very brave man for coming to see him. Marty replied **"Listen, I understand that Emilio screwed up but I had nothing to do with that." **Lazik went on talking finally exclaiming that Emilio had lied to him and was paying off someone in the LAPD, with his money, which cost him time and the waste of a lot of money. He said he would have to shut down the entire operation. Marty tried to convince him he could take over for Emilio. All Lazik had to do was give him one chance and if he screwed up he could just shut down the arrangement. But if he succeeded, then all that money Lazik was talking about wouldn't be wasted. Marty thought he had the situation under control right up to the moment Lazik called him 'Mr. Deeks'. He didn't react, but knew he was screwed when the guns came out and that he had probably seen his last sunrise. _"I just can't seem to catch a break on this case. I cheated death earlier, but don't know if I will this time" he thought. _He looked up at the sun shining and decided if he was going to die today, he was going to go out with style. Lazik's men really worked him over several times concentrating on his face and torso before and after he showed them the classic Marty Deeks but he got to make some smart-ass comments, piss them off with his trademark grin and spit blood on Lazik's shoes. Lazik even choked him a couple of times but he just smiled at the man. When Lazik showed him a picture of Jess, he denied knowing her, but then was shown a picture of him leaving Jess' apartment. _"Oh Lord, I knew I shouldn't have stayed over at her place that night. I had a bad feeling about it then and I was right."_ he was racked with guilt. Then Lazik asked if she was good in bed and Marty attacked him, but but unsuccessful and earning more punches. He thought several ribs were cracked if not already broken. His nose was bleeding and he was pretty sure he he would be dead when all was said and done. The inside of his mouth was cut and he was still spitting blood but at least he didn't have any loose teeth, yet. Even though he was pretty sure he was going to die, he kept looking for a way out. He wasn't going to die without a fight, that was for sure.

He almost couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Callen calmly walking into the meet with what looked like a package of heroin in his hands saying that Tommy Bishop had a buying opportunity and thought Lazik might be interested in a business proposition. As he started toward Lazik, he was told 'no' with Lazik motioning to one of the guards to get the package. He moved to the left which puzzled the guard but gave Kensi a clear shot at the guard which she took signaling the beginning of a gun fight which ended with the death of Lazik and his men. Near the end of the fight, Deeks and Sam came face-to-face with only their training keeping either one of them from shooting the other. When Kensi reached them Deeks quipped **"I told you I'd be back."**

All Kensi could think to say was **"O, shut up."**

"You okay Deeks?" Callen asked.

"Yup, I'm fine."

Callen then reported over coms. We've taken down Lazik and his men. Deeks is pretty beat up but he says he's okay.

Marty told them Emilio was paying off an LAPD cop and Kensi said it was Jess but Marty knew it wasn't true. "Jess wasn't the cop on Emilio's payroll, I know it" he replied.

"Deeks, everything points to her" Kensi insisted.

"I don't care what you think. She wasn't the one providing information to Emilio."

"How can you know that?" Callen asked.

"I just do. She was working Emilio trying to find out who he had on his payroll while I was trying to get the evidence we needed on Lazik. She would never do that" Marty was adamant that Jess wasn't on Emilio's payroll. He thought back to some of the other things she had told him about her cousin the night he stayed with her _"Marty, she was so beautiful and full of life. She only saw the good in people…Thirteen and she was talking about what she would do once she became a doctor. She didn't want the money or prestige; she wanted to help people, the ones who couldn't afford to go to the doctor. Why was she taken? How can people do that to children?"_ He remembered the anguish in her voice and tried to convey those emotions to Kensi, Sam and Callen as he told them about her cousin. He wanted them to know her like he had. If he could convince them she was innocent, he knew working together as a team they could finish what she had started.

After talking the whole operation over among themselves, they came up with a plan to identify the dirty cop. Marty was sure he knew who it was. If Hetty hadn't helped him when he called her, the next person on the list was the one he was sure now was bad. It was a good thing Hetty had helped him, Marty thought, because if he had called the next person on his list, he would probably be dead right now.

~,~,~

It was with a heavy heart and building anger that Deeks met with Scarli and asked him what he should tell Internal Affairs about Traynor. When he replied that the truth couldn't hurt her because she was dead, Marty knew without a doubt that he was the dirty cop. He had been hoping all along he was wrong. He would never understand how someone who had taken an oath to serve and protect could do such a thing. He related the story Jess told him about her cousin being kidnapped and killed citing it as the reason he knew she wasn't the dirty cop. His anguish was palpable when he continued explaining how he had figured out that while he was trying to catch Lazik she was trying to win Emilio's trust to find out who the dirty cop was. He looked at Scarli with a look of devastation on his face and said **"That would be you, Frank."** Scarli pulled his gun while saying he he was sorry but Marty replied **"No you're not." ** just as Sam told him to lower his gun, pulled him out of the car and handcuffed him. Deeks asked if they had heard the conversation and received confirmation from the team everything that had been said in the car had been heard.

Marty grabbed Scarli's gun and stuffed it behind his back as he turned and began to walk away while Callen reported to Hetty "The dirty copy is Scarli. Deeks got his confession on tape so we have all the proof we need. It's a good thing he came to you for help Hetty. If he had gone to Scarli he'd be dead right now and we wouldn't have a clue as to what happened."

Scarli goaded him asking how Jess was in bed and Marty lost it. He asked him what he had said, then pulled his gun, cocked it, pressed it to Scarli's chest and told him to ask him again. He screamed it several more times as Scarli just stood there silently. There was a roaring in his ears and he couldn't hear anything until Kensi got through to him by saying **"Deeks, put it down!…Deeks."** Hearing Kensi's voice brought him back to himself. Realizing he had almost crossed the line in his rage, he stepped back, ejected the bullet from the chamber and lowered the gun. Sam took it while he tried to get his breathing back under control. His feelings of rage scared him because it reminded him of his childhood and his father's brutality. Looking at Sam, he was surprised when he nodded his head slightly and glanced toward Scarli. _Was Sam really giving him permission to take out his feelings of betrayal and anger on the man?_ Deciding he was, Marty turned around and punched Scarli in the face and then landed four extremely powerful punches to his ribs before Callen pulled him away from Scarli and back toward Kensi. The look on Deeks face made Kensi realize just how much the events of the last two days had affected him. He was looking at her but she didn't think he was seeing her. He had a 'thousand yard stare' on his face and looked completely out of it. He kept running his hands through his hair, then turned and walked away. He looked totally devastated and Kensi felt a wave of concern for him, but she couldn't figure out what to do or say to help him.


	4. Chapter 4: Injuries

Not mine, not mine, not mine. I still don't own NCIS Los Angeles.

As usual, thoughts or memories are in italics. Anything in bold letters are actual quotes from the NCIS LA episode Fame or Human Traffic.

Reviews are welcome.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 4: Injuries

Marty slowly walked away from the confrontation with Scarli trying to get his focus back. He felt like he was going to lose his mind. Thoughts of months of working undercover, Jess' death, Scarli's betrayal, the car bombing, the beatings; everything was swirling around in his mind making him feel a little sick like he was on some kind of a demented roller coaster ride and couldn't hold on or get off. All he could think to do was to get away somewhere alone and try to make sense of everything that had happened. He had always come down from an alias alone. It was the only way he knew how. He was trying hard to gain control and keep from showing how injured he was. He was pretty sure that a few ribs were cracked, maybe even broken. His face was sore, his mouth was bleeding and he was in an enormous amount of pain, but just ignored it and kept walking until he was around the corner from the team. Once he was out of sight, he looked around trying to figure out what do to next then collapsed against the wall trying to catch his breath. The events of the last two days finally caught up with him and he slid down the wall and just sat there in a stupor. He was having trouble breathing but couldn't figure out why as he slowly succumbed to oxygen deprivation.

Back at the car, Sam shoved Scarli into the back seat and told him to sit there silently, or he might have another accident. The team began discussing Deeks and what had happened. Callen mentioned he had received quite the beating by Lazik and his men. When Kensi heard, she got a sick feeling in her gut. "Are you sure he's okay?" she asked. "He's had a couple of really bad days."

"He would have said something, wouldn't he?" Sam inquired.

"I don't know Sam. Remember when we first met him, he said he always worked alone. He's not used to being part of a team. He looked pretty out of it there at the end. He looked completely devastated." Looking around Kensi continued "Where did he go?"

The team realized he was nowhere in sight and were beginning to worry about their liaison officer. They didn't know him very well yet; hell, Sam still called him the 'temp' and Kensi hadn't yet come to trust him completely watching her back. They had all been surprised at the rage he displayed just before he began punching Scarli. He sure hadn't looked or acted like a laid-back surfer when he was screaming at him. None of them were sure what to make of him; he looked like a laid back surfer with the 'fluffy' hair and the golden tan; he acted like a goof ball in fact, but each of them began to reassess just who and what Marty Deeks was. There were depths to him they had never seen or been aware of until now.

"I'm going to find him" Kensi declared walking toward the building she had last seen him approaching. Rounding the corner, she saw him slumped against the wall. Getting closer, she noticed a blue tinge to his lips and yelled "Callen, call an ambulance. Deeks has collapsed". Reaching his side, she knelt down and tried to get him to respond to her, but his eyes were closed and she could tell he was having trouble breathing. Putting her hand on his shoulder, she urged "God Deeks, how badly are you hurt? Why didn't you say something…Deeks…come on…talk to me Deeks."

Deeks was barely aware that someone was next to him. He felt someone touching him but was so tired he wanted everything to stop so he could sleep. But he heard someone talking to him so he tried to respond. After what felt like forever he was able to pry his eyes open slightly. He saw Kensi. "…What?" he managed to whisper before he lost consciousness.

Callen and Sam rounded the corner and saw Kensi on her knees besides Deeks. "The ambulance is on it's way. It should be here in about 5 minutes, Kens" Callen told her. "Has he said anything?"

"No…I got him to open his eyes for a second, but all he said was 'what?' before he lost consciousness. I don't know if he has 5 minutes. His lips keep getting bluer. He's not getting enough oxygen, Callen."

~,~,~

The wait for the ambulance seemed interminable. Kensi was getting ready to put Deeks in the back of her car and take him to the hospital herself when she finally saw it arriving. "He's over here. He's having a lot of trouble breathing" she called out to the paramedic who climbed out of the ambulance.

He took one look at Deeks, grabbed the oxygen mask, put it over his mouth and nose and cranked the oxygen up to help him breath. With help from Sam and Callen, he lifted him onto the gurney with the back raised up so that he was in a reclining position to make it easier for him to breathe. "How long has he been unconscious?"

"About 5 minutes. I tried to keep him awake, but couldn't" Kensi answered.

"What happened to him?"

Callen began speaking "He was involved in an explosion yesterday, but was supposedly examined and patched up by a doctor. We don't know anything about the doctor; we don[t even know if he was actually a doctor. We also don't know how close to the explosion he was yesterday or what his injuries were. Earlier today, he was badly beaten, taking numerous shots to both his chest and abdomen. He said he was okay. A little while ago he was in a confrontation with a suspect and threw four or five punches before we could pull them away from each other. That's when he walked away from us."

The paramedic began talking to his partner while taking Deeks' vitals. "There are decreased breath sounds on the left side. I'm feeling three cracked ribs on the left and two cracked ribs on the right side. He might have punctured a lung or developed a pneumothorax from the explosion. I'm also feeling crepitus on the left side."

The paramedic turned to the group "Do you know if he was experiencing any dizziness or shortness of breath?"

"When he walked away from us, he wasn't displaying any of those symptoms" Callen interjected.

Looking at his partner, the man examining Deeks said "Let's wrap and run here. If his lung is collapsing, it's better we get him to the hospital as soon as possible." The paramedics bundled Deeks into the ambulance getting him ready for transport.

"Where are you taking him?" Kensi asked.

"UC Medical Center" came the reply.

"We'll meet you there" Callen gave two slaps to the closed door of the ambulance to let them know they could take off. He then got on coms and let Eric, Nell and Hetty know what was going on with Deeks and where he was being taken. "Sam, take Scarli to the boat shed and have someone watch him then meet us at the hospital. Kensi, you come with me."

When they arrived at the hospital, they met Hetty, Eric and Nell who were already in the emergency waiting room. "They just took him back to an exam room" Hetty informed the team. I've had him admitted under his alias and given the doctor his complete medical records. The doctor is an old friend of mine and will take good care of Mr. Deeks. As soon as he knows something, he'll come talk to us."

Waiting was hard on everyone. Hetty, Eric and Nell sat in the chairs along the wall. Callen was looking out the window while Kensi was was staring toward the room Deeks was in. Sam arrived about an hour later after dropping Scarli at the boat shed. He looked to Callen for an update, but Callen just shook his head "We're still waiting to hear, Sam".

"What's taking so damn long!" Kensi was ready to get out her gun and demand some answers. Sam looked at Callen and then glanced at Kensi, so Callen went over and put his arm over her shoulder and tried to get her to calm down. "We just have to be patient Kens."


	5. Chapter 5: Recovery

My minions are in the corner weeping because I still don't own NCIS Los Angeles.

As usual, thoughts or memories are in italics. Anything in bold letters are actual quotes from the NCIS LA episode Fame or Human Traffic.

A huge shout out to everyone who has reviewed. I'm trying to respond to all of you but with work and real life, it's taking me a while. Just know I appreciate every one of you. And thanks to all of my followers and those who've favorited this story.

This is the next to last chapter…Enjoy.

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CHAPTER 5: Recovery

While the team waited impatiently the doctor was thoroughly examining Deeks. He had already ordered an x-ray to determine if there were any broken ribs. He was relieved when he realized they were just cracked and not broken. The medical team was working on re-inflating his lung and removing the free air from his chest cavity. The doctor determined that the punctured lung wasn't too severe and decided it was probably caused by a combination of the explosion and the beatings. Once he had all of the test results, he made sure Deeks was resting comfortably, then went to the waiting room to inform Hetty and her team.

"He's going to be okay Hetty" he said as he began outlining Deeks' injuries. "He has five cracked ribs, but none of them are broken. The laceration to his lung was probably caused by the explosion and the resulting shearing force it caused. At that point the laceration was probably very minor. It was exacerbated by the beatings he sustained to his chest and abdomen today. The laceration enlarged accompanied by a pneumothorax which caused the lung to begin collapsing due to air escaping into the chest cavity and putting pressure on it. He has bruising on his back and legs from the explosion but the was no underlying trauma to his kidneys or spine. He has a pretty big lump on the back of his head resulting in a significant headache, but there is no sign of a concussion and no skull fracture to worry about. He's got bruising on his chest and abdomen but again there is no underlying trauma other than the pneumothorax. He also ha numerous cuts and scrapes to his face and torso that are from the explosion he was in, but nothing to be concerned about. All in all he is a very lucky man.

"He's awake now and resting comfortably. We've already re-inflated his lung. He was in quite a bit of pain from everything that has happened to him in the past two days, but we've given him some medication which is helping with that and letting him relax. He should be asleep before long and should sleep through the night. I am going to keep him overnight for observation just to be sure no other symptoms appear. He can go home tomorrow if everything looks good. I'll be checking on him in the morning."

"Thanks Dr. Gordon" Hetty was relieved. She knew Deeks had been hiding the extent of his injuries from her when she talked to him last evening, but at least he wasn't in any immediate danger and would recover. She also knew he would be relieved he had been able to complete the assignment. He took on guilt so easily whenever anything went wrong and he would have been devastated if he hadn't been able to successfully conclude his assignment. Even though he knew he was a good cop and a good undercover operative, she knew he didn't really believe it at times, especially when something went wrong. She thought back to what she knew of her liaison. He would be surprised at just how many details she had which had her remembering _"Given his childhood it's no wonder he takes the blame when anything goes wrong. He doesn't realize what an extraordinary man he is. Not many children could have overcome a background like his and become as gentle and caring as he is. I just hope I can convince him of this someday." _ Thinking back to when she recruited him as her liaison, she was glad she had been able to get him out of LAPD when she did. She had been watching him for some time before offering him the position and had plans for him to become an agent. She knew he would have been killed in the line of duty one day if he had stayed at LAPD and kept going undercover with as little backup as he usually had. At least at NCIS she was able to protect him somewhat and provide backup to keep him safer than he had been at the LAPD.

"Kensi, he's your partner. Go spend some time with him. I'm sure it would help him to see a familiar face." Hetty instructed her youngest agent. "Callen, you and Sam interrogate Scarli and get everything you can from him. Then hand him over to the LAPD with all of the evidence we've gathered against him. I'll inform Lt. Bates that we'll be providing him the information later this evening and let him know how Mr. Deeks is doing. Once you've finished that, take off for the night. I'll see all of you at the Mission tomorrow morning. Thanks for keeping Mr. Deeks safe."

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Kensi walked slowly to Deeks room. She wasn't sure what to say to him. She hadn't known him very long and she still felt slightly guilty for her comment when he first came on board about 'was he the best LAPD could provide'. She knew he had blown it off, but she wondered if it had bothered him even so. Peeking into his room, she saw he was still awake. "Hi, how are you doing? You gave us a scare."

"Hey Kens" came a whisper from Deeks. He wouldn't look at her, he just kept picking at the blanket that covered him.

"Deeks, are you all right, do I need to call a nurse?"

Marty looked up at her in confusion then averted his eyes again "You act like you don't want me as a partner, so why do you care?"

Kensi was brought up short by Marty's comment and the look on his face. "I'm sorry Deeks. I didn't mean it…and I do care…and I'm glad you're my partner. We were all worried about you when you collapsed. Why did you walk away without telling us you were hurt that badly?"

"I didn't realize I was. I guess I was so angry at Scarli's betrayal and those horrid comments he made about Jess the adrenaline in my system masked most of the pain. I had to get away from there…I just wanted…needed some time by myself to get my head straight." He ran his hands through his hair with another sigh but still wouldn't look at Kensi except for quick glances as he was talking. "By the time I realized how much everything hurt, I was already around the corner and out of your sight. I…I leaned against the wall to collect my breath…but it was getting hard to do so…the next thing I remember is you leaning over me. Was I dreaming or were you really there?" he whispered with another quick glance at her.

"No, you weren't dreaming. I was trying to keep you awake but you checked out on me. Callen called for an ambulance and we followed them here. Sam deposited Scarli at the boat shed before he came. We're turning him over to LAPD with all of the evidence we have later tonight after Sam and Callen interrogate him. He'll be going to jail for a long time."

"Are you guys going to say anything about me punching him out?" He glanced at her again before beginning to pick at the bandage over the IV site in his hand. He was worried that they were having second thoughts about having his back about the assault.

Kensi tried to reassure him "What punch? None of us saw anything after you got him to confess."

Deeks glanced up and gave her a tired smile "Thanks. Thank Sam and Callen for me too."

"You can thank them yourself later."

"Yeah, I guess so. Oh crap, I have to talk to Bates" Marty began trying to get out of bed. "I need to be debriefed."

"Whoa there Deeks. You're not going anywhere right now. Hetty is talking to Lt. Bates."

"She is? Why?" Deeks was getting confused. "Why are you all being so nice to me?"

That comment made Kensi feel about two inches tall. "_Have we treated him so badly that he doesn't feel like he belongs? Are we that inconsiderate?" _she wondered. "Don't worry about that right now. Close your eyes and try to sleep, I'll be here if you need anything. I'm not going anywhere" she replied.

"You don't have to stay. I'll be fine on my own. I'm used to it." Deeks had little experience with anyone taking care of him or watching over him so he didn't expect it of Kensi. "You should go home and get some rest."

"I'm not leaving you, you're my partner; get used to it Deeks." Kensi couldn't understand where he was coming from. Hadn't he ever had anyone worry about him or be there for him? For the first time since he had become her partner, she started wondering about his background and what had made him the man he was. Sure, he acted cocky and assured; always joking around and getting the better of her even though she would never admit it; but right now she was seeing another side to him. He sounded so unsure of himself and there was an underlying loneliness that she hadn't noticed before.

Deeks again looked at her trying to figure her out. She actually sounded like she had been worried. He couldn't understand why, all he knew was that she confused the hell out of him but he was too hurt and tired to try to figure it out right then. Giving her another quick glance, he asked "Why are you here? You don't even like me."

"I like you Deeks, you just get on my nerves" she replied. "Close your eyes and try to sleep, You must be exhausted, I'll be here when you wake up."

Marty gave up "Okay." Closing his eyes, he was asleep almost immediately.

Kensi sat in the chair next to his bed and watched him sleep, He looked much younger with an innocence about him when he slept. Once she was sure he was asleep. she brushed his hair out of his eyes and whispered "sleep well" then leaned back in the chair. She followed him into sleep not too much later.

Marty woke several times during the night and was amazed every time to see Kensi sitting there beside his bed sleeping. He didn't know what to think about it. No one had ever been there for him like she was doing right now and it really did confuse him.

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	6. Chapter 6: Epilogue

Another story has come to an end. I hope I did it justice. I'm still disappointed that no one has given me NCIS Los Angeles for my very own but that's the way the cookie crumbles!

As usual, thoughts or memories are in italics.

Reviews are welcome.

Enjoy.

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CHAPTER 6: Epilogue

Hetty walked into Marty's hospital room and found him asleep right along with Kensi. She was leaning back in the chair beside his bed with her head resting on her chest. As she got closer to the bed, Marty slowly opened his eyes and looked around like he was trying to figure out where he was. He was still half asleep but saw Kensi there and remembered she had stayed the entire night watching over him. He then noticed Hetty standing there looking at him. "How long have you been here?" he asked, running his hands through his hair.

"I just got here Mr. Deeks. How are you feeling this morning?" she replied.

"Much better, thanks. A good night's sleep does wonders" he yawned. "How much trouble am I in with Bates?"

"You're not in any trouble. You're to report to Lt. Bates once you're released for a debriefing. I've filled him in on everything that happened so he only has a few questions for you. I can tell you he's pleased you're okay and the assignment was completed. You should be proud of yourself."

"Why should I be proud of myself, I got my handler killed" he whispered. At that moment, Hetty understood why Gibbs used his famous head-slaps on DiNozzo because she would have given one to Marty right then if he hadn't already been in pain. She would never understand why he always took all the blame on himself. She knew it had to do with his childhood but she respected his privacy and didn't call him on it.

"Mr. Deeks" she warned him. "You know that's not true. You are a good man, a great cop and you will be a great agent. You did everything you could. I know Miss Traynor would be very proud of you too. I don't want to hear you say something like that again. Am I understood?"

Marty gulped and said "Yes, Hetty."

"Good. The doctor will be here shortly."

"He's springing me?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes. I'll expect to see you in the office tomorrow morning. Once you're through with Lt. Bates, go home and rest. Go surfing if the waves are good. You need to decompress."

"Are you sure I'm getting released?"

"Yes, Mr. Deeks, I'm releasing you this morning" Dr. Gordon said walking into his room. "All your tests look good and as long as you don't overdo it today, I think you'll be fine. I wouldn't surf if I were you, but you can at least sit on your board. Just listen to your body and your pain levels. That way you won't overdo it. The nurse will be in shortly with your paperwork. Hetty, nice to see you again."

Kensi woke up sometime during the conversation between Hetty, Deeks and the doctor. She rubbed her eyes trying to wake up completely. She was stiff all over but the look on Deeks' face when she glanced at him made her glad she had stayed. He was thanking her silently with his eyes and she could tell it had meant a lot to him. "So, you're going home today, huh?" she asked him.

"Yep, I get to go home. Um…thanks for staying."

"You're welcome Deeks. It was the least I could do." she replied. "Hetty, I'll be in to work as soon as I've gone home and showered."

"No need to hurry Miss Bly. We don't have a case, so once you arrive you can catch up on your paperwork" Hetty looked at Kensi with a smirk on her face. She knew Kensi, like the entire team, hated the paperwork portion of their jobs, but it had to be done.

"Well, I'm off then. See you at work Deeks." Kensi waved and left the room.

"I'll see you tomorrow Kens" he called out to her before turning back to look at Hetty. "Thank you for helping me. I didn't know who to turn to after…well after Jess died…and I had to finish this…for all those girls and Jess. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't."

"You're welcome Mr. Deeks. You're part of my team now and I take care of my agents. Rest. I'll see you tomorrow." She continued as she walked out of the room.

As soon as the nurse brought his paperwork, he signed himself out of the hospital and was wheeled to the exit. He hadn't even thought about how he was going to get home until they reached the parking lot. He realized that no one had offered to take him home but he wasn't really surprised. He knew he was an outsider to the team or as Sam called him 'the temp'. He didn't want to admit it but it hurt to realize how alone he was. As he turned to ask the nurse to call him a cab, Callen showed up "Come on Deeks, get in. Sam and I dropped your car off at your apartment last night. I'll take you home."

Deeks was shocked Callen was willing to take him home. All he could think to say was "Thanks man. I appreciate it."

"Hey, your part of my team. I told Hetty I'd make sure you got home. Besides, I can't have you wandering around getting lost now can I?" he laughed.

"Ha, ha, Callen. Is that the best you can do?"

"Just taking it easy on you since your hurt. Come on, get in." Callen drove him home and told him he'd see him the next day as he drove off. Marty stood there in the warm sun and thought to himself _"Maybe I was wrong and this liaison position will end up being a good thing. I didn't expect them to help me, but maybe I'll finally get to be part something good."_ He took a shower then reported to Bates and just like Hetty had said, it was a very short debriefing with his boss letting him know he was proud of him. When he got back home from seeing Lt. Bates, he grabbed his surfboard from his apartment and hit the beach. The sun, sand and waves always relaxed him. The beach was his refuge from the things he had to do in his day-to-day work life or when he was fighting his personal demons. He always felt at peace on the ocean whether he was actively surfing or just sitting on his board beyond the breakers enjoying the ocean breezes. Listening to his body and thinking about how much pain he was still in, he decided to just paddle slowly out and sit on his board for a while and was glad he was able to do so without too much pain. He sat there relaxing; enjoying the sun on his skin and the feeling of the ocean beneath his board. Thinking back to his hospital stay overnight, he went over everything that had happened between him and Kensi. _"Why did she stay with me? She doesn't like me…does she? She said she stayed because she's my partner but she's always putting me down and acting like I'm not good enough. She really confuses me and that's a fact. She says things like 'I should just shoot you myself' and I'm not really sure if she's serious or not…then she turns around and says she was worried about me. I wish she would make up her mind. She hates my nicknames for her…of course I kind of like I can get her goat by calling her Fern. The look on her face was priceless when I called her that in the nightclub. And I'll be damned but I'm not going to stop thinking up nicknames for her. If nothing else, I'll get a chuckle out of it. Besides she's not the only one who is good at their job. I bring just as many skills to the table as they do. They may not be exactly the same skills, but I have them…I'm good at my job and one day they'll see that. Those people are entirely too serious. I mean when we're on a case, sure its time to be serious, but when we're in the office they should lighten up a bit. It won't kill them to crack a smile once in a while." _ He looked around at the other surfers and the waves washing the beach and wished he didn't hurt so much so that he could surf. He decided it was time to head in, so let the waves gently push him onto the shore. He grabbed his things and went home to Monty. The sun and salt water had worked wonders for his mood and after another shower he was able to sit back, relax and come to terms with everything that had happened over the course of his undercover assignment.

It had been a long assignment and had caused him a lot of pain and anguish but all in all, he had been successful and he kept thinking about Hetty's words and felt them settle into his heart until he could think of Jess with sorrow but without guilt. She had been a good friend and he would always miss her but at least he knew they had shut down the human trafficking ring successfully and she could rest in peace.

FINI

Raderle


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